The massive flame lifted itself up into the skies like a dreaded snake. The tree that stood next to the hollow, once massive and impressive, screamed under the heat of fire.
Under Adrel's orders, the Blood Witch's abode had been set on fire.
Adrel watched with the rest of the Erref. The army had gathered everything of importance from the Blood Witch's abode. There were large maps, historical books and writings, hundreds of papers on strange experiments, unseen of in the empire.
Adrel ordered the collection of the maps, along with a certain book they found deep within what seemed to be the Blood Witch's chamber. It had a green cover, made from goatskin and it lay next to a bed. Upon inspecting it, it seemed to be the Blood Witch's journal.
Adrel collected only this book, as well as the maps, which depicted lands far beyond Karakh. Lands Adrel had never seen before.
Everything else was declared accursed, and burned.
Adrel watched on as the flames licked up every inch of the mighty tree. The firelight glinted in his retinas, a burning orange within a cool silver. The delicate leaves were torn apart by the flames, leaving pitiful pieces of ash flowing in the heated air.
It was a majestic sight not too long ago.
Now it was a broken trunk and a pile of ash.
The soldiers tended to their horses, speaking amongst themselves.
The priests and priestesses delivered their last prayers in slow chants.
The army awaited Adrel's next commands.
A great tent was set up in the clearing, the burnt hill overlooking it. The insignia of the Erref fluttered limply above it.
The Erref entered, hard looks of dismay on their faces.
A dark, broody silence filled the room, as Adrel gathered his thoughts.
He began.
"The demon has slipped from our grasp. He has the royal blood, as well. Captive, most definitely."
Adrel looked up at the faces turned to him.
Their countenances were darkened. Clearly, many weren't at peace with him.
"My actions were rash, I believe. I acted out of emotion rather than logic. The information we require is abundant, yet due to my mistake, even at this juncture, we are lacking. We do not know what the enemy possesses. Neither do we know the whereabouts of his potential ally, the Blood Witch."
Adrel's voice had lost its authoritative strength. The mighty tower had crumbled by an overwhelming force. The Erref knew it. Even the tone of his voice was forced. As though it were struggling to hide something.
Adrel cleared his throat.
He seemed like a different person. A weaker man. Everyone was well aware his encounter with Rahiel had gone completely wrong. His calm, logical nature had disappeared almost the moment Rahiel emerged. Rahiel taunted him. Rahiel spat at every one of his achievements without even listing anything.
The words still rang in Adrel's mind.
'You're pitiful…'
A criminal? Calling him, the Inquisitor of Karakh, pitiful?
It was inconceivable.
All his life, he had done everything for the Empire. He had killed many men, in divine justice— retribution for their crimes. There was nothing that shook him.
Except Rahiel.
His voice was colder than Adrel's. He spoke with a mystic authority. Every laugh of his cut into Adrel's heart, as though Adrel were nothing but a little boy holding a toy sword.
Adrel yelled at him.
But Rahiel was beyond unfazed. It didn't bother him in the least.
In a single moment of weakness Adrel had felt his greatness crumble.
His hard work seemed like nothing, in the face of Rahiel's grin.
His clenched his hands as they lay upon the map on the table.
Adrel sighed.
Changing his tone, he continued.
"The demon is still in the forest. He certainly can't be far."
"I doubt he desires escape," Ut'ia said. Her voice came out of the blue.
"What?" Adrel rasped, frowning.
"If he was bothered about anything, it certainly wasn't the army in front of him."
Ut'ia spoke with a calm that angered Adrel. It reminded him of his now pathetic state.
"Truly", Legt supported. Cross-armed, his voice boomed in the tent.
"He wasn't meaning to battle in the least. On top of all that, the way he boldly insulted Calor...He has no inhibitions."
"He is a godless fool!", Adrel snapped.
"He desires nothing but the Empire's destruction. All those who oppose Calor are enemies of Karakh. Such has he labeled himself."
The heat in the tent drew as eyes were glued to Adrel.
"Our steps from here are simple. We shall tighten security on the perimeter of the forest. More watchtowers could be situated here and here," he said, pointing to unmarked areas upon the map.
Adrel continued, tensing.
"Double the number of guards patrolling the forest. We need to send messages to the nearby cities; Ulruk, Beltair and Sael. Warn them about the threat of Rahiel. We shall capture him at all costs…"
His voice suddenly darkened.
As he ended, the tent fell into a thick silence.
All stared at him, concern marking their faces.
He wasn't the Adrel they knew and respected.
"Inquisitor," Ut'ia began.
"Are you sure of these methods? Is that it?"
Her doubt cut Rahiel's resolve, melting it into a redundant puddle.
Adrel frowned.
He didn't like the way that woman kept stabbing at him. It was almost as though she could see what was going on within him.
Ut'ia's sharp eyes locked on to Adrel's face.
He was motionless, staring blankly at the map.
There was a long pause.
"Elaborate Ut'ia. Elaborate."
Adrel's voice came out cold like winter.
Ut'ia's sharp expression had softened into a concerned look.
She spoke respectfully, in consideration of the Inquisitor's mood.
"The number of men that have died at this fiend's hands is unspeakable. If you really take a look at it, no single man has come close to even a decile of the carnage Rahiel has caused…"
The Erref listened closely. Her elaboration was on the side of rationality.
"I believe that if this continues, more and more of our men will fall at the hands of that fiend."
Adrel's sliver eyes looked deep into hers. With every word that came from her mouth, his glare tightened alongside his heart.
"Rahiel is in a class of his own. We call him a demon, but I fear that title might be more truth than mere name. Even apart from the carnage he wrought at Rhea-Nori and the massacre on Brujil's party, the blood directly on his hands is still more than any single criminal in Karakh's history…"
"Get to the point," Adrel barked, glaring.
She quickly continued, raising her voice. Her ash-stained cloak fluttered at the edges as she gestured.
"My point is…we need help. We need the rest of the Seket in on this. This shouldn't be a taken as a trivial matter. The Los, Frued, Kestek…all of them…even the Gae-"
"That's enough from you Ut'ia!"
Adrel's yell shocked the entire Erref. Ut'ia was cut off like a ship being sunk by a sudden monstrous wave. The air in the tent froze alongside all the Erref.
Ut'ia stared at him, eyes wide. Her mouth hung open.
Adrel had never yelled at her before.
His voice was always that of reliable authority. It was calm, and never forceful. A strong tower on a hill, overlooking a glorious city.
She had suspected it, and doubted herself on the matter. However, Adrel's attitude just now had confirmed her suspicions.
He wasn't fit to lead the Erref anymore.
"Your doubts are noted. However, we move forward with the plan."
His voice lowered as he spoke, and then raised again, as though in retribution.
"Rahiel is a mere man. They come and go as we see them; he is no different from a lucky mongrel. Have we not faced demons beyond him? Did not the drug stations in Uluk wreak more havoc than Rahiel? By destroying the cult of Kryt, did we not save thousands of lives?"
Ut'ia remained silent. It was wise for her to do so. Any word that would come from her mouth again wouldn't be taken nicely. He clearly wasn't in the mood to listen to reasoning. Legt had picked up on it.
His heart had darkened.
"I ask you, Ut'ia. Did we not!?"
Adrel's sharp silver eyes had been replaced by dull iron. His voice tore through the air in the tent like the roar of a mad lion.
He glared at Ut'ia as though she had committed a crime.
"Yes, Inquisitor," Ut'ia reluctantly responded.
Her concern for Adrel had been driven into the dust.
Adrel seethed.
He wasn't done yet.
"Get out."
His voice, now hoarse and cruel, was directed at Ut'ia.
"Inquisi-," Legt started.
"Be silent, Legt. I will not tolerate such insulting questions in the face of our adversity. Do you not see she has spat on our legacy?"
Ut'ia froze. Her heartbeat began to ring in her ears. Her breaths became shorter as a dark unease settled over the Erref in the tent. The man she respected had stepped out.
Adrel turned sharply to Ut'ia. Legt could barely even react.
"Don't make me repeat myself, woman. Get. Out."
A dark silence filled the tent once more.
Expressions of shock were drawn on each of the Erref's faces. The canvas of the tent billowed slightly, the darkened insignia flowing upon it.
Ut'ia couldn't raise her voice to defend herself. It would be counted as pure-set insubordination. And it could very well end with her being dismissed from the Erref.
Ut'ia took a deep breath in. She gave one last sharp stare at Adrel. He glared back viciously, almost ready to launch at her.
She took quick steps out, pushing the other Erref out of her way.
Her cloak fluttered slightly behind her. Her boots swished through the grass. Her clenched fists shook with her shoulders as she walked. In a moment she was gone.
The opening of the tent fluttered, as a white clad stepped out.
Adrel felt shudders in his clenched hand. Alarmed, he quickly held it, nullifying the shudders.
Within the tent was a great silence. Like after a mighty hammer was dropped on the head of a boar.
Yet, Adrel could hear the commotion.
Deep within the minds of the Erref. A loud commotion.
The silence rung in Legt ears.
He couldn't believe what had just happened. The man who stood behind the table wasn't Adrel. He couldn't be.
"Dismissed," Adrel said.
His voice had suddenly switched from tense to low.
No one argued.
No one debated.
The Erref stepped out of the tent with pale faces. As though they had just witnessed something sickening.
One by one, they left.
The entrance to the tent billowed as the last Erref left. The orange light of the evening sun filled the tent. The rays seemed to dance as they passed through the air.
A familiar shadow kept still.
Only Legt remained.
Adrel just kept staring down at the map.
Strands of his hair hung from his head. Sweat streaked down his face; the heat in the tent quite intense.
There was a brooding silence between the two, until Legt finally spoke.
"Adrel," he began.
Adrel's heart almost seemed to turn.
He knew what it meant, whenever Legt referred to him by his name.
He was about to have a long talk with him.
"Tell me," he continued, "What is wrong?"
Legt was always direct in his approaches.
"Adrel, what is the matter with you?" he repeated.
He wouldn't leave without an answer.
"There is nothin- "
"Don't give me that." Legt's voice cut through Adrel's act perfectly. It was direct and powerful.
Another silence brewed yet again.
"So be it. If you believe there is nothing wrong, I cannot force it out of you. Do as you wish."
Adrel's eyes glowed solemnly. An annoying disgust sprung up within him. A black murky water arose within his spirit.
"However," Legt went on.
"Do not let a mere criminal move you."
His words struck Adrel hard.
"As surely as Calor lives, we shall find him, and we shall claim the royal blood. So please, return to your senses. I despise when strong men become slaves to weakness. You are strong, Adrel. So, wake up and lead us."
Adrel felt the words stack up within his heart. They beat at him like a merciless boxer.
He slowly raised his head, opening his mouth to utter a word to Legt.
As he did however, there was nothing but the blank silence in the tent, and the silent flutter of the tent's entrance.
The shadow had disappeared.
It was quiet.
Very quiet.
The last embers of a dying flame smoked quietly upon the once mighty tree. The ashes went along and blew past the nose of a little girl far down the hill.